Tablature

Like standard notation, tablature consists of a series of horizontal lines forming a staff (or stave). Each line represents one of the instrument's strings (so standard guitar tab has a six-line staff). Numbers are written on the lines, each number representing a fret on the instrument. For instance, a number 3 written on the top line of the staff indicates that the player should press down the high string (not the "top", or "thick" string) at fret 3.

However, tablature is instrument-specific, while standard notation is generic. This limitation means, for instance, that only a guitarist can read guitar tablature, while a melody written in standard notation can be played by any suitable instrument.

Another limitation of the simplest form of tablature is that it does not represent the rhythm of the notes, only their pitch. In practice, this is not much of a limitation; some players read tablature and standard notation in tandem, while others listen to a recording to get the 'feel' of the music before consulting the tablature for instructions on how to play. Furthermore, several more sophisticated variants of tablature have been developed which do include information about rhythm, and these variants are becoming increasingly common.

        C
e |-----0------|
B |-----1------|
G |-----0------|
D |-----2------|
A |-----3------|
E |-----x------|

For arpeggiated chords, the notes will be in a progression. For instance, the song "Everybody Hurts" by REM uses arpeggiated D major and G major chords through the chorus of the song. Here are a D major chord and a G major chord written in tablature form:

      D       G
e |---2-------3---|
B |---3-------3---|
G |---2-------0---|
D |---0-------0---|
A |---x-------2---|
E |---x-------3---|

       D                         G
e |----------2-----------2-------------3-----------3----|
B |--------3---3-------3---3---------3---3-------3---3--|
G |------2-------2---2-------2-----0-------0---0--------|
D |----0-----------0------------------------------------|
A |-----------------------------------------------------|
E |------------------------------3-----------3----------|

Other techniques, such as hammer-ons, string pulls (or pull-offs), slides, and bends are also shown in tablature. Hammer-ons are usually shown with an "h" in between the fret to strike and the fret to hammer on. String pulls are shown with a "p". "Tribute to the Greatest Song in the World" by Tenacious D is one example of a song that uses both of these:

    Am (A minor)
e |-------------0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-------0-0-0-0-0-|
B |-------------1-1-1-1-1-1h3p1p0h1-----1-1-1-1-1-|
G |-----0h2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-------2-2-2-2-2-|
D |-0h2-------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-----2-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A |---------0---0-0-0-0-0-----------0---0-0-0-0-0-|
E |-----------------------------------------------|

("ATWA" is played in Drop D tuning)

e |----------------------------------------------------|
B |----------------------------------------------------|
G |----3-----2-----5-----7------8------7-----5-----3---|
D |----------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------|
D |--5---5/3---3/7---7/8---8/10---10/8---8/7---7/5---5-|

e |---------------------------------------|
B |---------------------------------------|
G |--5b7--------5b7r5--------5b--------5br|
D |---------------------------------------|
A |---------------------------------------|
E |---------------------------------------|